Zoe Barnes
| residence = Washington D.C, United States of America | education = University of Chicago | affiliation = Frank Underwood (source) | profession = Journalist | father = | mother = | siblings = | marital = | spouse = | children = | sigothers = Boyfriend: 2013: Lucas Goodwin Ex-lovers: 2013: Frank Underwood | others = | actor = Kate Mara | seasons = 1, 2 | appearances = 2 seasons, 13 episodes | firstseenepisode = | lastseenepisode = | firstmentioned = | lastmentioned = | gallery = Gallery }} Zoe Marie Barnes (June 10, 1986 – November 5, 2013) was a Washington, D.C.-based journalist. She was killed by Frank Underwood in 2013. Biography Zoe Barnes is a former Washington Herald and Slugline reporter. She starts her noteworthy career by teaming up with Frank Underwood; in a ballsy maneuver, she shows up unannounced at Underwood's house and immediately grabs his attention. During that time she starts and ends an intimate relationship with Underwood. It ends shortly after she finds out that not only does Underwood's wife, Claire, know about their affair, but condones it. Zoe's relationship with the House Whip Underwood is mutually beneficial; he uses Barnes as a way to leak stories and hamper the progress of Underwood's colleagues, including Michael Kern's nomination for secretary of state and the education bill draft that was championed by the Walker Administration. Zoe benefits by accelerating her career as a journalist thanks to the insider info. Nervous, young, ambitious, with some naiveté, Barnes uses all her weapons to report her brand of news. She is often seen biting her nails and using her youth and sexuality to get the big story. When she first starts reporting for Underwood, she begins to alienate her coworkers at the Herald with her rogue and mildly arrogant attitude, and unintentionally steals Janine Skorsky's position as White House Correspondent. She eventually leaves the Herald due to a conflict with her superior and joins Slugline. She finally teams up with Skorsky after both had left the Herald; despite their professional competition, they respect each other's work ethic and have the same goals in mind. Both end up at Slugline and together they unearth the hidden details regarding Russo's DUI cover-up and his death. Death With the help of Skorsky and Lucas Goodwin, Zoe tries to uncover the truth behind the death of Peter Russo. While Russo's death was officially ruled a suicide, the team of journalists correctly suspected that the Congressman's death involved foul play and that Underwood was involved. Underwood requests a clandestine meeting with her and prior to their meeting, she learns some crucial details that suggest Russo was murdered; he was found on the passenger side the car in which he was presumed to be alone, killing himself via carbon monoxide. At a public park, Barnes meets with the newly appointed Vice President and is coerced to drop her suspicions and start anew, stating that her connection to a powerful figure would be increasingly valuable to her own gain. When she asks Underwood about Russo being found on the passenger side, he quickly deflects her suspicions. Underwood admits to covering up Russo's DUI, but claims that the cover-up is the extent of his involvement and that his death was without question a suicide. By the end of their meeting, the embattled journalist is clearly leaning toward teaming with Francis again due to the fact that he is now in a much more powerful position and that her investigation is an uphill battle. As Zoe and her team continue to dig for information, she appears to doubt her own suspicions and brings up details that stand in the way of Underwood's involvement. She swiftly leaves the meeting and expresses a desire to be alone, or more importantly, isolate herself from Skorsky and Goodwin. Francis asks to meet Barnes once again at a train station. While the meeting place is far more public, the Vice President is in disguise and hides behind a fenced structure. There, Zoe and Francis agree on the "fresh start" and she deletes all past text messages and contact information. Still, she continues to inquire about Russo's death and reveals her knowledge of some key details, including Rachel Posner. Francis now knows that despite their "fresh start," Zoe's in-depth knowledge of a number of details is a threat; he lures Zoe into running after him and waits for her to turn the corner. To Zoe's surprise, Francis is there waiting for her, and he pushes the helpless Zoe in front of an oncoming train. The calculated locale of the murder as well as the deleted contact information ensure that the death appears to be an accident. Given the location of the final meeting, it is possible that Francis had intended to kill Zoe all along and that he only arranged the meeting to ensure that his contact info and text messages were wiped out from her phone. Behind the Scenes Zoe Barnes was portrayed by Kate Mara in Seasons 1 and 2 of House of Cards. Appearances Trivia *Although Zoe is absent in Chapter 8 Kate Mara's voice is heard because she provides the "Previously on House of Cards" phrase for the episode. Category:1986 births Category:2013 deaths Category:Americans Category:Females Category:Characters Category:Main Characters Category:Residents of Washington D.C Category:Deceased